Spring calligraphy festival recreates traditional spaces

A calligrapher is performing at a festival in Hà Nội. This year’s festival which starts on February 3 and lasts until February 19, has attracted the participation of 40 calligraphers. — Photo bvhttdl.gov.vn

HÀ NỘI — The annual Spring Calligraphy Festival will open this weekend at Literature Lake, part of Hà Nội’s Văn Miếu – Quốc Tử Giám (Temple of Literature), recreating the national ancient traditional spaces.

Lê Xuân Kiêu, director of the Văn Miếu – Quốc Tử Giám Cultural and Scientific Centre (VCSC), said: “The centre has been ready for all activities of the Spring Calligraphy Festival 2024 and the Calligraphy Exhibition themed Hiếu Học (Studiousness) to take place during the upcoming Tết holiday of the Lunar New Year of Dragon.”

An opening ceremony of the Calligraphy Spring Festival will take place on Saturday night at Literature Lake, according to Kiêu.

This year’s festival, from February 3-19, has attracted the participation of 40 calligraphers who are members of calligraphic clubs and selected from a writing competition to perform at the festival.

The artists, wearing áo dài (long traditional dress), will sit in bamboo tents following the traditions of the past.

Booths have also been set up around the lake to serve the needs of visitors who want to ask for calligraphic pictures.

In addition, the calligraphy exhibition will showcase 50 works of calligraphy in the front yard area of the Văn Miếu and 50 others around Literature Lake. All of the works reflect the thousand-year spirit and tradition of studiousness of the Vietnamese people.

Within the framework of this year’s festival, various cultural activities will be organised to draw visitors to the event, such as those to recreate the spaces of traditional education and exams, scholars’ village, craft village and reading culture.

The activities also include displays of traditional handicraft products, souvenirs and spring culinary culture. Programmes of ethnic folk music and dance performance will also be held, featuring traditional cultural practices such as quan họ (love duet), ca trù (ceremonial singing), chèo (traditional opera), water puppetry, and lion and dragon dance.

To ensure a joyful, healthy and safe atmosphere for visitors to the event, the VCSC has coordinated with relevant agencies and local authorities to carry out a plan ensuring security and order at the site.

The centre and local authorities pledged to resolve traffic congestion and ensure security during the spring festival.

For years, millions of Hanoians and visitors from across the country have visited the Temple of Literature, especially during the Spring Calligraphy Festivals, to have meaningful words written in calligraphy, aiming to attract good fortune in the Lunar New Year.

The calligraphic works are then used to decorate their houses during the annual new year celebration.

On red or yellow dó (poonah) papers, calligraphers write words in traditional and Vietnamese scripts intended to bring good health, luck and prosperity for those in attendance.

Last year, the total number of tourists coming to the site recovered to reach two million people, of which about 1.5 million visitors bought tickets, while the rest are mainly students who came to study and experience the national education history and tradition there.

The VCSC is making efforts to complete documents for a master restoration plan to preserve and promote the value of the relic site as well as to attract more tourists to the area. — VNS